Nation: The Cruel Stalemate Drags On

Carter doesn't know how ridiculous he sounds when he threatens us,"
jeered Iran's tempestuous Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini. "The noises
he makes are similar to those of a frightened lion, who does three
things: he roars in the hope of frightening off his challenger, he
makes rude noises because fear causes his muscles to contract, and he
sways his tail in hopes of finding a mediator."

It can prove dangerous for anyone confronting a lion to conclude that
the animal is frightened. But given the Iranian taste for...